Edwin collapsed next to the dead direboar, his mace falling from stiff fingers. He rolled onto his back and looked up to the sky, the afternoon sun blinking through the canopy. For a few seconds he just lay there while his breathing normalized, then he rolled back to his knees and looked around. Leodin was approaching, his loaded crossbow still held wearily. Salissa stood next to the tree she had tried to hide behind moments earlier, looking at the dead monster with a grim expression. Bordan was sitting with his back against another tree, breathing heavily. Edwin started.
“Bordan! You’re bleeding!”
“I am?” Bordan asked, confused. He looked down at himself and began feeling for an injury when the movement caused him to flinch. “I guess I am.”
Edwin quickly got to his feet and strode to his companion’s side with a few steps. A quick inspection revealed a hole torn into his shirt and a cut going from Bordan’s chest to his right arm.
“Must’ve been the broken end of the spear that got me when the boar knocked me over.” Bordan said calmly.
“Doesn’t it hurt?” Edwin asked with surprise.
“Not really, but that’s going to come in a bit, don’t you worry.” Bordan laughed darkly. “Let’s just get this cleaned up.”
There were a few wooden splinters in the cut, and Edwin spent some time cleaning and bandaging the wound.
“If that’s the only injury we suffered, we got lucky.” Bordan said. “This beast was tough. Damn good shooting again, Leodin.”
“Indeed.” Edwin nodded. “I did basically nothing to it. I really need to get myself a spear once we’re back in Pel Darni.”
“Me too.” Bordan sighed, looking dejectedly at the shattered remains of his weapon. “We’re getting off lightly on injuries, but we sure are bleeding equipment. Is my shield still good?”
“Should be just fine.” Edwin said, giving it a once over. Then he stopped, remembering a distinct sound. “Say, Salissa? Did you happen to shoot a rock at me during the fight?”
The mage started fidgeting and looked away. After a few moments she mumbled: “They’re really hard to aim from so far away. Even when I hit it, they didn’t do anything through the fur. That’s why I came close and used fire.”
“Don’t worry, it’s fine.” Edwin said with a grin. “It was just strange: I was up on the boar’s back and suddenly…heh… suddenly a rock plinks off my shield…” He didn’t really know why, but he broke down laughing. Salissa and Leodin shared a confused look, while Bordan simply grinned sardonically. After a while, Edwin got himself under control and wiped the tears out of his eyes.
“Well, I guess I need to work on that some more.” Salissa said, awkwardly trying to fill the silence.
“Sure, you’ll be fine.” Edwin reassured her.
“Actually…” Bordan said slowly. “Does it have to be rocks?”
The others looked at him curiously.
“No, it can be pretty much anything. Why?” Salissa asked.
“Could you also shoot, say, one of these?” Bordan pulled one of Leodin’s bolts out of the dead boar and held it up. Salissa looked at Edwin, who scratched his chin in embarrassment.
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“Actually, that’s a really good idea, Bordan. I can’t believe we didn’t think of that.”
Why hadn’t he thought of that? Now that he thought about it, he had considered throwing the things he found around him using telekinesis normal. Walter had had to fight several times in his later life, and he’d usually relied heavily on telekinesis. He’d always been surprised by monsters, though, and with how powerful he’d been at that point he’d never considered doing anything special to prepare for it. Carrying weapons and ammunition specifically to levitate them made so much sense. And the possibilities…
“Well, we can figure this out later.” Bordan said. “Let’s gather our things, get back to the village and report our success. Edwin, help me get my spear head and the bolts out please.”
In the end, they actually had to cut the spear out. It didn’t make things easier that it had snapped just above the flesh, so it was very hard to grip. By the time they had it, Edwin was elbows deep in blood and guts, and he used the last of his water to rinse off his hands and forearms. They started on their way back, Leodin leaving periodic markings on trees so the villagers could find the site of the battle later. Edwin shot one last look at the direboar, massive even in death, twin tusks and horn gleaming in the afternoon sunlight.
“You could also carry a spear.” Edwin said to Salissa while they were walking. “The long shaft would mean that you don’t lose your grasp even when you stab something. And then bolts or arrows…or maybe javelins? Those might be best. If we designed something smartly, you could even levitate a shield…”
“She’ll need a hand cart to move all that!” Bordan laughed. “She isn’t you, Edwin, we can’t all carry a whole armory.”
“Just think of the possibilities, Bordan!” Edwin said, eyes twinkling. “She could do all our jobs at once, without ever being in danger. All it takes is some practice and some specialized gear!”
“I’m not sure what you think is possible…” Salissa said uncomfortably. “I’m having a hard enough time throwing rocks, I don’t think I’ll be juggling weapons like you say anytime soon.”
“Bah.” Edwin waved away her concerns. “You’ll get there soon enough.”
“Speaking of getting somewhere.” Bordan said, turning to Edwin. “Did I see you jump over a direboar from a standstill?”
“Uhm.” Edwin replied eloquently. “I guess I technically only jumped on top of it, not over it?”
“Dammit, Edwin, the thing was as tall as me.” Bordan shook his head in amazement. “It really isn’t fair. You’re not human, you know that?”
The others started laughing and Edwin joined in. His laugh sounded conspicuously like an undead lich wearing a conjured skinsuit, but he couldn’t for the life of him remember how to laugh like a normal person.
--- ----- ---
“Where are ya off to next, then?” Headman Umbor asked.
The party was seated around a table in Leshing’s only inn. After arriving back in town, the adventurers had sought out the headman to report their successful hunt as well as the location of the carcass, and he had dispatched a group of hunters and volunteers to bring it back to the village. Then they’d taken care of their equipment, washed and eaten an early dinner. When they were done, the headman had wandered into the common room, joining them at their table.
“Further south.” Bordan replied. “We’ve got two more stops to make.”
Edwin sighed, and Leodin and Salissa groaned. The headman looked around the table with raised eyebrows, then laughed.
“Ya been at it for a bit, I take it?”
“Just long enough that we’re looking forward to heading home.” Bordan replied diplomatically. “It can’t be helped, with the situation being what it is. If all goes well, we might be on our way back to Pel Darni in a few days.”
“Here’s hoping.” Salissa said darkly. Leodin nodded, rapping his knuckles against the wooden tabletop, and Bordan and the headman repeated the gesture.
“I’m just glad ya boys are still coming out here, even with the Marradi being nonces. Most of our young’uns went and signed up with the army already. Fighting down south is important, don’t get me wrong, but what’s the point of holding the border if monsters destroy our fields and eat our children, eh?”
“That’s the job.” Bordan said. “And that’s why the Guild is exempt from military duty, even if we do get a draft. So don’t worry, war or not, we’ll always answer when you call.”
“I’ll drink to that.” The headman said, and he did. They chatted for a while longer, but mention of the war had given the conversation a dark turn, and soon the headman excused himself. The adventurers finished their ales and went to bed, as their victory over the direboar had only granted them the slightest of reprieves, and they still had plenty of walking and plenty of fighting to do before they could turn towards home.